A closer look: D-backs avoid sweep against Nationals

By Arizona Sports | August 13, 2012 at 12:22 amUPDATED: August 13, 2012 at 1:34 am

Sure, you could read the box score and know who won, but
we
all
know that won’t tell you everything that happened in a
baseball
game. So, we will give you a closer look, providing you
with
the
analysis, quotes and notes from the D-backs’ August 12
win over the Nationals.
Final
score: Diamondbacks 7, Nationals 4.

The Good:

The D-backs avoided a series sweep by the Nationals at Chase Field, winning on Sunday 7-4. With the win, Arizona snapped a three-game losing streak and are now 11-5 in their last 16 games at Chase Field. The offense finally got going, scoring seven runs on six hits, but five of those hits went for extra bases.

The Bad:

The Diamondbacks head back out onto the road again for a seven day, six-game trip after just this brief three-game stint at home. Prior to this homestand, they spent 11 days on the road playing 10 games in three cities.

Noted:

Patrick Corbin continues to pitch well since returning from the minor leagues. He is 2-1 with a 1.76 ERA in his last eight games, which includes three starts. He’s allowed just six earned runs in 30.2 innings pitched during that time.

Another positive came from the offense. First baseman Paul Goldschmidt ended a 0-for-16 skid with a two-run double in the third inning.

He Said It:

Manager Kirk Gibson on Corbin’s strong outing.

“Patrick was outstanding,” Gibson said. “Obviously he pitched seven great innings for us. I just like his pitch count, it was extremely low all the way through and just his strike ratio right from the get go was very efficient.”

Up Next:

The Diamondbacks hit the road for a seven day, six-game road trip. They play a three-game series starting Tuesday in St. Louis and then head to Houston after that. On Monday, the Diamondbacks will enjoy an off day before right-hander Ian Kennedy (10-9, 4.34) will take the hill against Cardinals’ right-hander Joe Kelly (2-5, 3.47) on Tuesday.